Sputum-cup holder.



H. A. STONE.

SPUTUM CUP HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1918.

1,294,563 Patented Feb.18,1919.

HENRY A. STONE, OF SCOTCH PLAINS, JERSEY.

SPUTUM-CUP HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed July 31, 1918. Serial K012417526.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY A. STONE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scotch Plains, in the county of Union and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sputum- CupHolders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sputum-cup holders and the object of theinvention is to pro duce a simple, inexpensive and efficient device bywhich the cups will be supported against collapse and may be very easily,removed when filled. A further object'of the avention is to provide adevice which may be applied to any of the sputum cups now on the marketand which will support the cup when in use so that contact with thecontents of the cup will be avoided.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will behereinafter fully described, the novel features being subsequentlyparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a sputum cup supportedwithin my improved holder;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the cup and the holdersupporting the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the holder and the cover mountedthereon.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a single strand or length ofstout wire and, midway the ends thereof, bend the said strand or lengthof wire into a rectangular loop 1, the end portions of the wire beingbrought together at one side of the loop and then bent downwardly, asshown at 2, a clip or sleeve 3 being passed around said downturnedportions so as to hold them together. Below the said clip 3, thebranches of the wire are doubled on themselves to form the eyes orhandle member 4 projecting rearwardly from the down-turned portion 2 andfrom the said eyes or handle member the branches of the wire are carrieddownwardly in spaced relation, as indicated at 5. The spaced portions 5,together with the downturned portion 2, will constitute a support orbrace for the back wall of the cup 6 and should, therefore, be of suchlength as may be necessary to accommodate a cup of standard height. Fromthe lower ends of the spaced portions 5, the branches of the wire are.carried forwardly in divergent paths to form the base members 7 uponwhich the cup rests, and the front ends of these base portions areturned upwardly to provide the front arms 8 whichextendup to the loop 1and have their extremities formed into eyes 9 which encircle thefront'portion or side of the loop 1. The cup 6 is of any desiredconstruction and is generally a stout impervious paper receptacle ofrectangular form having its upper edges folded over into the interior ofthecup, as shown at 10. The cup is inserted downwardly through the loop1 and rests upon the base members 7 so that the sides of the cup will besupported by the top loop 1 and thereby maintained in proper shape.

A cover 11, preferably of sheet metal, is provided to extend over thetop of the cup and prevent the escape of infectious matter and germstherefrom, the said cup being provided with a handle 12 at its rear edgeand also provided with a down-turned flange 13 at said edge which isconstructed with a central notch 14 to accommodate the upper sides ofthe eyes or handle 4 and also to permit a spring 15 to be coiled aroundthe rear side of the loop 1 and have its ends engaged respectively overthe rear edge of the cover and the down-turned portion of the holder.The edge of the flange 13 is rolled upon itself to provide a sleeve orhinge member 16 which fits around the side of the loop 1 so as to permitthe cover to turn pivotally upon the loop, the spring 15 holding thecover normally over and upon the top of the cup and the handle member 12permitting the cup to be raised against the tension of the spring aswill be readily understood upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3.

It will be readily understood that this improved holder is formed of asingle length of wire and may be, therefore, very cheaply andeasilymanufactured. When in use it will firmly support the cup so that it willnot collapse and may be repeatedly used until filled and when filled maybe easily removed from the holder to be destroyed in accordance with theusual practice. A new cup may, of course, be very readily inserted intothe holder and a single holder, therefore, usedindefinitely. The holderis light and it will not occupy so much room that its use will beprohibited.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device for the purpose set forth comso that it may be handled by aweakinvalid prising a single strand of Wire formed midway its ends intoan upper receptacle-engaging loop, the end portions of the strandmeeting at one side of the loop and then extending downwardly therefromand then doubled on themselves to form eyes adj ac-ent the down-turnedportions and eXtendino' downwardly from said eyes at the sides of thefirst mentioned clown-turned portions, then extending forwardly indiverging paths in a plane approximately parallel with thereceptacle-engaging loop and terminating in up-turned members havingtheir ends conn-ected to the front side of the receptacleengaging loop,and means for holding the first mentioned down-turned portions together.

2. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a single strand of wireformed midway its ends into an upper receptacle engaging loop, the endportions of the strand meeting at one side'of the loop and thenextending downwardly therefrom and then doubled on themselvesto formeyes adjacent 'rece tacle-en 'a 'in 100 and terminatin in b b bup-turned members having their ends connected to the front side of thereceptacle engaging loop, means for holding the first mentioneddown-turned portions together, and a spring-controlled cover provided atone edge with spaced hinge sleeves engaging around the side of thereceptacle-engaging loop at opposite sides of the down-turned portionsof the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY A. STONE. a 3.

Copies of this patent may be' obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

